Expressions from our Youngest

Expressions from our Youngest
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Thursday, June 23, 2016

Simple Woman's Daybook - June






I am participating in a Simple Woman's Daybook today - June 23, 2016:

Outside my window...it is a bit overcast in Maryland today.  The sun keeps trying to peep out of the clouds occasionally.  After some early morning showers, my daughters went out into the court to see my son riding his new bike as he improved tremendously in just a couple hours.  Then more neighborhood kids came out.  It is wonderful to see the kids playing with each other in the neighborhood.  I am so thankful for our new neighbors.

I am thinking...that June has been a great start to summer this year.  We are finishing up the fourth quarter for homeschooling.  My son only has English, spelling, and handwriting to complete.  Seton homeschool has been a blessing for us.

We had a great time at my son's girlfriend's graduation party at her parents house.  She has a wonderful family.  Her parents are so kind just like she is.  My son's girlfriend will be going to Drexel near Philadelphia next year.  He just took her up there to find an apartment.  We are praying that their love for each other continues to grow strong even with this distance apart.

We were able to attend our parish picnic together.  After the bible study my husband and I were in, we've been meeting more parishioners.  It is nice to share time with other Christians.  My daughter's spiritual adviser, Father Mike, also visited us one evening for dinner.  We had a great time and I couldn't ask for a friendlier help for my daughter.  Fr. Mike is much more friendlier than our parish priest.

Swim Team is off to a great start.  My oldest daughter is an assistant coach while my younger daughter is a coach in training.  My younger daughter is also providing swim lessons for children.  Their summer jobs are lifeguards at our local pool.  My son and daughter are both on the swim team.  They are up early in the mornings for practice and busy at work so they are not sitting around the house all day on the computer.  Practice was cancelled today due to the weather.  We participated in the swim team's pasta dinner, pancake breakfast and picture day, and our first A and B meets.  The swim team is tons of fun for us.  Here are some pictures so far this year:


Swim Team Pasta Dinner: My daughter is standing up as assistant coach and the coach is sitting down talking.

Pasta Dinner-Swim Team: Good friends on swim team
Pasta Dinner-Swim Team: Good friends on team
Two assistant coaches


My daughter coaching
Mom and son
I am thankful...that my husband, youngest son, and I were
able to kick off the summer by going to Ocean City, Maryland on Memorial Day weekend.  The four oldest children are all very independent and busy with jobs and/or their college educations.  Therefore, we just brought our youngest son with us on this trip.  We had a very peaceful time together.  Here is a picture of where we took long morning walks together by the bay.

Memorial Day Weekend
In the kitchen...We had taco's last night for my youngest son's birthday.  It really was a fun filled day because my older son's girlfriend came over to help celebrate. They took my youngest son to the movies and made delicious taco's for everyone.  I made a spice cake and the kids frosted it with cream cheese frosting and sprinkles.  My two daughters got off work early as they are lifeguards and there were thunderstorms all afternoon.  There was a break in the storms and we all ran outside to see the double rainbow.  All the neighborhood kids were running in the puddles together getting soak and wet.  It was like we had our own instant neighborhood water park.  My husband bought a bike for my son's birthday.  Now he could ride his bike with his neighborhood buddy around the court.  Here is a picture of his new bike:


It is so heartwarming for parents to see how well their children get along and interact with each other.  All the kids (adults now) made my son's (10 years old) birthday special.

I am wearing... red, white, and blue.  I think I'm ready for the 4th of July.

 I am reading...Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin - The Extraordinary Parents of St. Therese of Lisieux.

I am creating...I am making a craft for my journal writing class.
I am looking forward to...I planned a movie date today for all the neighborhood kids.  We're going to watch Zootopia and have popcorn.  I'm making fruit salad for a healthy snack too.  I hope they have fun and I hope some of their parents and grandparents stop by while the kids are all entertained with the movie downstairs.  The parents can all visit with each other upstairs...if the parents come.  If they don't come because they are busy...that's o.k. too.

I am hearing...the kids are playing outside in the hose with water balloons and squirt guns now.  We had "movie day" and played "Stay Out of the Thorns."  The girls loved the game.

Around the house...I have been trying to organize more.  I've been going through my mail quicker too.  I bought this unit at Home Goods the other day and it is perfect to store some of the clutter we've had laying around the house.



I also bought this full length mirror for $10.00 at a yard sale.  We had no long mirrors.  I put it here and moved the coffee table in front of the couch.  I cleaned out all the clutter in the drawer of the coffee table.  Now it is organized with things we need rather than junk.




It's been a slow process but with college kids coming home for the summer, I've been trying to help them organize all of their things.  We just don't have the room in our house.  It's absolutely awful to have all the items from their dorm rooms piled up around the place.

I am praying...for my oldest son.  He just came back from a mission trip to Denver to help the homeless.  He loved it.  Presently he is going to University of Maryland and will soon have a PhD. in engineering.  He told us that he may do something totally different than engineering.  He has to think about it though.  We think he may be moving out to the west coast in the future because he has told us that he likes it there better.  He's been taking many trips out west with his research.  He has a heart of gold and loves to reach out to disadvantaged people to help them.  Help me lift him up in prayer so that the spirit with lead him in a good direction.

He was able to visit us yesterday and I was having some symptoms from my PTSD.  He always seems to be able to help me through any fears I am encountering at the time.  I am so grateful for him.

One of my favorite things...was celebrating Father's Day with the whole family.  It is not too often we can all be together at the same time.  We've been eating out on the back deck often and we did so on Father's Day too.  We had ribs and beer.  Here are some pictures of some of our fun together.

Father's Day Drinks

Father and two oldest sons

Mom and two oldest sons


Mom and two oldest studs

Dad with the three youngest kiddos

A few plans for the rest of the week...is to continue to go on walks with hubby on nice days and eat out on the back deck as often as possible before all the mosquitoes come.  I'll also start creating my craft for class.

Here is a recent picture of  my youngest at his cub scout "Rain Gutter Riga-ta":